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Monday, September 22, 2014

Autumn Love

I have never lived in a place in which the seasons visibly change. I have never known the beauty of the trees as they wear their fall colors. Despite this, autumn is my favorite season. Where I live, the signs are very subtle. You have to really look to find and appreciate the change.

The most obvious sign of fall is the change in the visitors that come to our island. The number of people drops off as children return to school. A new type of tourist now chooses to visit. They are sometimes a bit older and there is rarely any children in tow.

The most obvious sign that fall has come is the arrival of the migratory birds. They come here from the north to spend the winter with us. Of all the birds, the ducks are our favorite. They return to the same pond year after year. Their arrival is never actually seen. More ducks appear at the pond each day as if by magic. We make it a point to walk down to the pond to welcome the new ducks with a meal. Things pick up as though the ducks never left. They see us coming and speedily make their way to the dock. It's as though they remember us.